Slow Wool

Fleece-I seem to have it everywhere. I find that it is easier to clean the white fleece just because you know when it is clean. The brown fleece is a challenge. I'm not sure but I think that a brown fleece just has more lanolin in it. I really try not to over wash the fleece but I have a feeling that I am not washing the brown enough. My hands do feel good after working with it.

So I thought I would try spinning the brown. Well-too much lanolin and it is looking like an arty yarn. That is okay but it wasn't what I was looking for. I tried felting it and haven't seen it felt. Maybe too much lanolin. So now I am experimenting with mixing white with the brown.

The white doesn't seem to have as much lanolin so maybe mixing the 2 will do the trick.

So the white wants its' spot on the batt and the brown wants to stay separate.

Interesting mix. What I am finding is that even after carding the wool, I need to then use the hand carders to really mix the 2 fleeces. Maybe I am starting a new trend-instead of slow food, I am making Slow Wool. Off to spinning now.

The Beauty of Guilds

So at the last spinning/weaving guild, this cute Louett Hatbox spinning wheel was brought in. Since my wheel has been ordered (and hopefully shipped tomorrow), I asked to borrow this one from the guild. Luckily I have lots (did I say lots-should say lots & lots) of ready to spin fiber. Since my fiber is from some local German dairy sheep, I have done all the cleaning & carding. I am so afraid of overwashing the fleece, I end up having lots of lanolin in the fleece. I just finished my first bobbin and my hands feel wonderful. Now if I could only consistently spin.